Issue > Poetry

James B. Nicola

James B. Nicola, widely published on both sides of the Atlantic (twice in TCR), has several poetry awards and nominations to his credit. His nonfiction book Playing the Audience won a Choice award. His first full-length poetry collection, Manhattan Plaza (2014) is available. A Yale grad, his children's musical Chimes: A Christmas Vaudeville premiered in Fairbanks Alaska, with Santa Claus in attendance, opening night.

>Almost Like

The almost actors almost acted out
their almost acted almost acting scene.
The other almost actors in the room
applauded, almost. It was almost like
real acting (almost). Then the almost scene
was shot and spliced into an almost film,
an almost movie almost like a movie
from the time when they made movies like real movies.
The almost audience almost acted like
they almost even enjoyed the almost film.
The almost critics almost praised it, and
the masses found enough to understand,
in the age when painters almost paint, and
writers almost write, readers almost
read, and the almost entire generation
feels almost like we are almost alive.